With the Captains suffering casualties and heavy injuries on their side, all hope seemed to be lost... until Shinji Hirako appeared, along with the rest of the former Shinigami. Though the aid of the Vizards certainly helped to draw the battle in their favor, it seemed Aizen's power alone proved too much for them.
"I'm calling her a stuck up, high-haunched, lady."
Frowning at this, Alexei didn't know what he could do about this. It was obvious that Adela-sama was being mean to Neva-sama. But, he really didn't want to get involved. After all, he didn't want to upset Adela-sama. But, he didn't want it to seem like he didn't respect Neva-sama. He knew that he should just say that he didn't feel that way. He didn't have to judge Adela-sama's words. And he should; he wasn't that way.
"Neva-sama, I don't think you're stuck up, but you're most certainly a lady. As are you Adela-sama," he said with a smile.
"You're kind of dumb."
"Ah, Adela, does this mean you've found someone you can keep up with in a conversation?"
Alexei didn't know how to feel about this. Adela had said something mean to him but Celia had just been mean right back at her. Was this how they functioned around each other? Playfully tearing each other down like that? It was the most polite thing, but Alexei supposed it didn't hurt anyone. He just wouldn't take part in something like that. He didn't want to.
"Should I tell our guest about what happens between you two, or would you prefer to tell him?"
What did she mean? Did she mean that there was something going on between them? Other than them being twins and the like? He didn't understand what more there could be between them? Of course, Alexei didn't know a lot of things.
"They share a connection; they are from the same hollow and cannot be further then, oh, 100 meters?"
"Oh, are we sharing our weaknesses Celia-sama?"
"Ya didn't have to tell him..."
Alexei blushed at this a bit. He didn't want to upset either Adela or Neva-sama. It just wasn't something that he would enjoy to upset or disappoint them. However, the only thing he could do about it now was to apologize.
"Not right this instant, as we won't be fighting anyone," Celia answered curtly, ending Adela's imminent interruption. "It's not relevant to you nor I, but these two are constantly affected."
Adela pursed her lips and crossed her arms. She would have liked to insist that Alexei and Celia immediately share their secrets, but she supposed it was not the time for that.
The Espada began to walk the bridge. "Let's walk a while."
Adela also had a feeling that Celia wasn't telling them something, but she had no idea what it was. Maybe she had some brand new, deep dark secret that she didn't feel quite right sharing with everyone.
For once, Adela kept quiet.
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
"Not right this instant, as we won't be fighting anyone. It's not relevant to you nor I, but these two are constantly affected."
At this Alexei nodded but still held a frown. It didn't seem right to him. Here Celia-sama had told him the biggest weakness of his two new friends and he hadn't shared his. But, Celia-sama had told hiim that he didn't have to share his weaknesses with them at this instant. At the same time, his new leader had not told him that he couldn't. Moving his hand up to his forehand and spreading two fingers, he felt his mask materialize on the top of his head. Then he flicked his hand down so that the mask laid over his face. You know, like a mask.
Raising his hand, he counted the seconds. He got through one, two, and then three before "CRACK!". His mask shattered and dissolved to reishi as he smiled at Adela-sama. "I can only hold it for three seconds. I only got control of Sablya Tigra while in Szayel-sama's care."
"Let's walk a while."
Alexei simply nodded at the wishes of his superior. He slid his hands into his pockets and began to follow her as she would lead them to wherever it was she wanted them to go. He gave small smiles to Adela-sama and Neva-sama. They were both so nice to him thus far and that was just so great of them. He didn't know how he would return that kindness to them. He could make them a traditional Russian egg to show his gratitude. That would work, but first he would have to finish what Celia-sama wanted him to do.
Despite Celia's willingness to discuss her and Alexei's weaknesses later, the man drew a hollow mask. Neva muttered, "You're a vizard then."
His mask donned, he began to count. At three, his mask shattered.
"I can only hold it for three seconds. I only got control of Sablya Tigra while in Szayel-sama's care."
Adela cocked her head at first. Neva surmised that she didn't know the difference between a vizard and an arrancar, and was trying to figure out why he might have to fight for control. Then, in a twist, she said, "You're like us, Chico. Excepto su conjunto."
Celia glanced over her shoulder to her fraccionnes and Alexei, and then she continued her walk. "Good. You're getting along better than you did with Darui."
"So you're not going to throw us into a hoarde of hollow again?"
"Quiet," Neva warned her sister. It was quite possible that Celia would do so anyways. Even if she hadn't planned on it before.
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
Alexei heard Neva question that he was a Vizard before his mask fully broke. He nodded at this before he raised his finger for "2". He could respond to her with his hollow mask still on. If nothing else, he could show them what his voice sounded like with his hollow mask on. It was a small change, but it was nice to be full with them concerning what the change meant for every aspect of him.
"Yes, Neva-sama."
"You're like us, Chico. Excepto su conjunto."
At this, the young Vizard simply smiled at Adela-sama. She seemed very nice to him about his being a Vizard. He didn't know what the last sentence meant but it was probably something really nice. He didn't know anything about this language and he needed to know what it was. He would ask about that. He would actually do that right now.
"Adela-sama, what is that language you're speaking so I can learn it later? It'd be nice to understand everything you say so I don't have to continually ask you to translate."
"Good. You're getting along better than you did with Darui."
"Who's Darui, Celia-sama?"
"So you're not going to throw us into a hoarde of hollows again?"
At this, the young Russian simply looked confused. Had Celia-sama thrown Adela-sama, Neva-sama, and this Darui into a hoarde of hollows? That didn't sound like something she would do. After all, she was so nice in her pursuit of giving him a room and a lot of clothes. She had really taken care of him in the last few days and that just didn't sound like something she would do. However, he continued to walk with her because he didn't know what else he should do.
"Adela-sama," he asked, "What is that language you're speaking so I can learn it later? It'd be nice to understand everything you say so I don't have to continually ask you to translate."
Adela laughed. She usually swore in Spanish, and she used it to communicate with Neva without informing their enemies. But Neva answered, "Adela and I speak Spanish."
Celia smirked. "Yes...Neva, why don't you teach him?"
Adela pursed her lips. She couldn't believe that Celia wanted to ruin their secrecy. Well, it wasn't that secret. A lot of the time, Neva just translated whatever she said with a formal twist.
In short, whatever she said minus the profanity and rage and not-so-subtle insults.
"Aw, does she have to?"
"Well I would assume you make a terrible teacher," Celia remarked. "And Neva is quite bright, and used to simplifying things."
Adela didn't even catch the insult. All she understood was that Celia wanted Neva to teach Alexei Spanish, and that teaching Alexei Spanish would make it much harder to taunt him.
Though, he didn't seem to care.
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
At this, Alexei smiled softly and looked at Neva. He wondered if she would actually consider teaching him Spanish. Spanish...he hadn't heard of that language before. He supposed that it would be nice to learn so he could better talk to Neva-sama and Adela-sama. That would be nice actually. Yes, he would do that if she would teach.
"Neva-sama, would you actually teach me Spanish? I would love to if you're offering. Unless you have better things to do with your time that is."
"And Neva is quite bright, and used to simplifying things."
This joke went over Alexei's hand so he just stood there smiling like he always did. He looked between Celia-sama, Adela-sama, and Neva-sama. In that moment, he was happy to simply stand there and be around these people that he enjoyed. Alexei loved his new companions and their mannerisms. He wanted to say something else, but didn't feel right. It wasn't his turn to speak at this point because there was nothing that he could contribute to.
"If Celia-sama wishes, I will," Neva answered softly. She had no desire to teach a language to someone. She most certainly would not bother teaching him the intracacies that Adela most often employed - such as profanity.
Teaching Alexei Spanish wouldn't quite help him understand them any better.
"I'll start," Adela laughed. "Un perra is a bitch, and Mierda means shit."
Celia groaned. "Of course, Adela mostly swears, I take it?"
"Hai, Celia-sama."
Adela swung her arms as she marched after Celia. She was none the wiser to Celia's plan - her plan to hand them both over to Szayel and thus destroy any privacy they might have had.
Well, at least they weren't getting surgical scars the way Alexei was getting them. If Celia saw Szayel coming near them with a scalpel, she'd kill him.
Character List "Let's eat, Grandma!" "Let's eat Grandma!" Commas save lives.
Alexei felt his grin spread very wide as he heard this. It meant that he would get to finally understand Neva-sama and Adela-sama when they spoke in their own language. It would mean that he could talk to them whenever and that he would no longer have to guess what Adela-sama was saying about him that was so nice. He could almost picture himself speaking Spanish, this is, if he knew any Spanish.
"I would very much like to Neva-sama, if you wouldn't mind."
With that, he almost ignored Adela-sama's comments about the profanities that she knew in Spanish. Sablya Tigra would be delighted to learn these in Spanish. Actually, Alexei could teach them to his inner hollow if he would behave with his zanpakuto. He chuckled slightly at the idea of his inner hollow learning Spanish.
"My inner hollow would love to learn those words Adela-sama. For a cat he has quite the taste for cursing."
As that finished up, he continued to walk with Celia-sama and his companions. He didn't know where they were going exactly, but a small feeling of deja vu was setting in. He'd been around this area before, but he couldn't remember when or where it was exactly. Alexei wasn't the brightest.
There was a rumble. And there was a grumble. And out of the ground popped a young, sickly-looking man with blonde hair tied in a ponytail. The sand began to settle as he landed on the ground a mere few feet away from the quartet, revealing a rather sizable hole in the ground.
Just what exactly was he doing in the ground anyway?
Well, he found a series of tunnels leading all over the place, and he was just so damn curious...fuck if he knew they were how Celia got around the place without anyone noticing her...or some shit like that. Y'know, 'cause she didn't have sonido or something.
Pft. That fucking sucked.
"Hey, look at this. The hell are you doing here?" Darui dusted off his jacket and placed his hands in his pockets as he approached his Espada and her Fraccion. Oh, and some weird...kid. New guy? Nice.
"What's up, Celia? Wonder Twins?" he tilted his head towards the guy he didn't recognize, "Fresh meat, or something? Finally. I'm not stuck with women anymore."
Turning his head, he gave the new guy a once-over, despite being significantly shorter than him. Hell, Darui was a short guy in person. Didn't stop him from fucking some faces up on a daily basis. "Can he fight? We don't need a sack of potatoes around here."
His expression then changed to a rather large cheshire grin, "Need someone to test that for ya?"